Whistle While You Wait

When it's your first time in Tok and you're broke and just limping down the line
 And it's forty below and you know that they know that you're a hopeful from Outside
 And people speak distinctly as if you're foreign
 And you forgot to plug your car in
 And you're clearly overdressed, even for winter
 And your self-assurance slowly starts to splinter
 Oh it takes a little effort to keep your head on straight
 To laugh as if you mean it, to whistle while you wait
 It takes a little effort to warm up one more smile
 To bear another stare, to brave another mile
 When it's the first time you could get to West Hollywood and you're slathered in sunscreen
 And you drive really slow, so you know that they know that you're another Joe with a dream
 And you're wearing your old secondhand blue jeans
 And you keep turning your head at limousines
 And everybody else looks so damn pretty
 And you're feelin' extra grungy and extra indie
 Oh it takes a little effort to hold your head up straight
 To dress just like you want to, to whistle while you wait
 It takes a little effort to not avert your eyes
 To trust that you belong there -- it might just be yourself that you surprise
 And when you're hopelessly lost in downtown Austin and the crowd's too cool for words
 And you don't wanna go but you know that they know you're one of thousands of songbirds
 And you can't hardly be heard above the racket
 'Cause everybody there is tryin' to hack it
 And you've never been compelled to sleep outdoors yet
 So you're feelin' all establishment and corporate
 Oh it takes a little effort to keep your head on straight
 To laugh and really mean it, to whistle while you wait
 It takes a little effort to sometimes plug your ears
 To play without pretensions, but also without fear
 Because some of us will never quite feel the thrill of being safe in our own skin
 When it's your first time around you might flounder a bit 'til you fit in
 And although I do heartily admire
 Folks whose natural graces seem inspired
 I expect the truly confident are fewer
 Than I am generally inclined to think
 And it's worth a little effort to look 'em in the eye
 To whistle while you're waiting, to flutter 'til you fly
 Oh, it's worth a little effort and a lot of honesty
 It's worth some work believing
 It takes a little practice to learn to be